When it comes to preventative self-care, massage chairs can be a vital health and wellness tool. Massage has many proven benefits for your overall health and well-being, from better sleep to improved immune function, and reduced stress and drug-free pain relief. A massage chair for you home can also be a powerful tool when used for meditation.
Benefits of Combining Meditation and Massage
Boost Your Heart Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study that found meditating has substantial heart benefits, including:
- 49% reduction in coronary artery disease risks
- 24% lower stroke risk
- 30% lower risk of diabetes
Research also suggests that massage may reduce the risk of stroke and support heart health.
Reduction in Anxiety
New York University (NYU) conducted an 8-week study on the benefits of meditation and found that during the assessment, participants enjoyed considerable benefits, including:
- Decreased anxiety
- Decreased fatigue
- Reduced behavioral anxiety
- Reduced mood disturbances
The participants we between the ages of 18 and 45 and they meditated for just 13 minutes a day. The true benefits of meditation were seen in the participants after only a few of months.
The anxiety-reducing benefits of massage are well-documented and when combined with meditation practices can be a powerful tool for keep anxiety at bay.
Significant Reduction in Pain
In 2019 60 clinical trials were analyzed, which included a total of 6,404 participants. The study focused on pain reduction and the dosage of opioids by participants to provide pain relief.
They found that meditation was able decrease pain and reduce opioid dosage.
Researchers concluded that meditation, in addition to other forms of mind-body therapy, could not only reduce pain and opioid cravings, but also decrease the risk of misuse.
Along with to the pain-relieving benefits of mediation, there is also evidence that massage helps with pain. Meditation and massage combined can help give pain a one-two punch.
Higher Gratitude Levels and Decreased Negative Emotions
A small, 8-week study conducted in the Netherlands at the University of Groningen found that 15 minutes of meditation was equal to taking a day of vacation. They found that meditation was able to:
- Reduce exhaustion
- Improve life satisfaction
- Increase levels of positive emotions
- Increase levels of gratitude
- Decrease general irritability
The relaxing effects of a massage can help boost these effects, helping you maintain that upbeat attitude for longer.
Reduction in Cortisol Levels, Stress, and Anxiety
In 2016, a South Korean study was done over the course of eight weeks. The study included a school-based program that used mind subtraction meditation. Elementary school students followed the program and researchers found a substantial reduction in cortisol levels, stress, social anxiety, and depression.
Along with meditation, a massage chair can significantly help you with preventative self-care. When you own your own massage chair you get to enjoy the following benefits from the comfort and privacy of your own living room:
Improved Immunity
Regular massages can help improve your immune system. Research from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that those who received a 45-minute massage had increased levels of lymphocytes, the white blood cells that defend the body against disease.
According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage can help fight against seasonal colds and the flu. When the body is in a deep state of relaxation, the number of natural killer (NK) cells goes up; these NK cells are white blood cells that quickly respond to viral-infected cells.
Massage can also help the body get over a cold by increasing the blood flow and fluid movement to nourish the body while helping to remove waste or germs.
Adding massage therapy to your preventative care routine can help boost your immune system, reducing the risk of illness. Having a massage chair in your home makes it easy enjoy the benefits of massage regularly.
Reduced Stress
Massage is a great tool for alleviating stress, a silent killer. Studies have shown that a 10-15-minute massage can lower your blood pressure, oxygen consumption and salivary cortisol levels.
Stress affects all areas of the body:
- Musculoskeletal: Chronic stress may leave the muscles in a constant state of tension, which can cause tension headaches and lower back pain.
- Respiratory: Rapid, shallow breathing and shortness of breath are common responses to stress. For those with respiratory disease, stress can make breathing problems even worse.
- Cardiovascular: When you are under stress, your hearts beat faster and stronger. The body also releases the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. With chronic stress, these impacts are ongoing and can increase the risk of heart attack, hypertension, or stroke.
- Gastrointestinal: Stress can impact the entire digestive system, causing acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, bloating and even decreased nutrient absorption.
- Endocrine: Chronic, high levels of cortisol may disrupt communication with the immune system, which may lead to the development of metabolic disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, and other mental health conditions.
Studies have shown that stress-relieving therapies, like massage, can improve or prevent these effects.
With a massage chair in your home, you can take advantage of daily stress-relieving massages right from the comfort of your home.
Neck and Back Pain Relief
Back and neck pain can cause a host of problems, like missed work, difficulty bending over, lifting objects, and even just sitting in an upright position at a desk where compression on the spine can cause normal seating to be unbearable.
Massage has been shown to be a useful pain reliever, and massage chairs are especially effective for alleviating neck and back pain, because the massager rollers are strategically designed to target these areas.
Better Sleep
Sleep is vital to your overall health and well-being, but it is estimated that 50-70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders that affect their health.
Poor sleep can impact:
- Brain function, including your ability to make decisions, solve problems, handle change, and control your emotions.
- Physical health. Sleep deficiency can cause a greater risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health conditions.
- Productivity. Lack of sleep makes it harder to stay focused and productive at work.
We know that massage helps relieve stress, and that alone can help you enjoy a better night of sleep. However, a study on back pain found that in addition to pain relief, regular massages can boost serotonin levels.
Many of those who suffer from sleep disorders have low melatonin levels. Massage can help increase serotonin levels, which in turn increases melatonin levels. With a massage chair in your home, you can relax your way to a good night’s sleep every night.
Having a massage chair at home can be an ideal tool for meditation and preventative self-care tool. With the touch of a button, you can melt away stress, get drug-free pain relief, and enjoy a better night’s sleep.
