By Kerry Synnerdahl
Remedial Massage Therapist at Life Ready Mobile

How often do you get a massage?

Fortnightly? Monthly? Or just when something hurts?

We get our cars serviced regularly to ensure they run more efficiently and identify potential problems before they become real ones, so why not do the same with our bodies?

The many benefits of remedial massage are not exclusive as they all have a flow on effect. The first one that comes to mind is decreased stress levels.

When the levels of the stress hormone cortisol is decreased, and serotonin is increased, we feel better, sleep better and our energy level increase. When we sleep better our bodies are able to recover, rebuild and strengthen our immunity. Headaches and migraines also fall into the cycle of stress, pain, interrupted sleep patterns and remedial massage can also alleviate these.

Relieving muscle tension, increasing sports performance and aiding preparation and recovery are other benefits associated with remedial massage that should be considered not only by elite athletes, but also weekend warriors and everyone in between.

As a general rule of thumb, the more active you are and the more intense your activity (be it work, exercise or life in general) the more often you should receive a massage, however this is also dependant on how your body responds to the massage. General maintenance massages should occur every 4-6 weeks and weekly or fortnightly massages for those with the high activity and/or stress levels.

When deciding how often to get a massage you need to examine your lifestyle and needs. It is important to discuss these with your massage therapist so the treatment is tailored specifically to your unique requirements and assist you in achieving your goals.

We need to remember that “health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living.” (Ottawa Charter, 1986).

Book online now or call your local Life Ready team to secure a remedial massage spot!